Pets are the ultimate guilt trip experts, and ironically I
do say this with affection.
Growing up with Ellie May Clampet as my idol, I had just about any and all pets my parents were
kind enough to allow me to have. As an adult, I'm still an animal lover and still have a wide
variety of pets in my household. One thing I've noticed
over the years, is that different kinds
of pets, whether they be dogs, cats, birds, goats, whatever, they usually have a guilt trip expertise all their own.
Cats and horses will simply ignore you, as if you are no longer worthy of their attentions.
If you force them to pay attention to you they will likely get down right belligerent.
Their message is one that says "you are a terrible person and I don't like you any more".
Powerful, painful stuff.
Both, also seem to hold
a grudge longer than anyone else, sometimes forever.
I've found with my parrots, that they don't hold a grudge forever, but, you
do
have to receive your due punishment before the relationship can move on and restore itself - no exceptions.
The last parrot I had, Kimo, would get really mad at me when I left town, he considered it a personal insult.
He wasn't normally a biter, but every time I returned home he had to get his bite in before he would
have anything to do with me. Considering the fact that this was a little painful physically, I tried every way
possible to get around it. First I tried walking around sweet talking him for while before I approached
him - didn't work. Next time, I went straight to him showering him with sweet talk and treats before I
approached him - didn't work. I'm not a total cup cake, so I also tried warnings and post bite scoldings too
- didn't work. The main consolation was that once he got his bite over with, we became best
of friends again, at least until I left town the next time. I got to the point that when I came
home I just held my hand out and let him have his bite.
My final solution to this guilt trip method - don't leave town!
A parrot's guilt trip message ... "you did the crime, now you have to do the time".
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I think most will agree, dogs are the resident pets experts at overt guilt trip manipulation techniques,
at least the best at making us actually feel guilty.
Most have a
way of doing it without anger or snootiness, instead it is done by making you feel
truly guilty.
How can anyone resist it when they pout, hang their head low and look up at you with those big
brown eyes. Sammie, my Pyrenees puppy, had a fluxuating appetite as she grew up, so every once in a while I'd
sprinkle just a teaspoon of fresh grated parmesan cheese on top of it. Now when I put her dog
food in front of her, if it doesn't have the fresh grated parmesan on top of it, she looks up at me with a sad
"don't you love me anymore look" - who can resist that! Okay, I guess I
am a cupcake after all.
When I first got my little mix dog Sweetie, I was having trouble with her leaving tinkles on the stairway
landing. One day, finally, I caught her and gave her a little finger swat on the flank. (No, I
don't believe in spankings, this was for message only, not punishment.) She appeared to be mortified
at my disdain. Later that night, she jumped on the bed next to me, gave me a sad watery I'd stare and
then touched the little spot where she'd received the swat. Okay, I admit it, I was heart broken, it
almost makes me cry just writing about it. No more swats, even little finger versions, for my gang.
A dog's guilt trip message is one that says "why don't you love me anymore". A true heartbreaker that
does work on cupcakes like me.
Perhaps the funniest guilt trip method I've seen belongs to my little pygmy goat, Daisy. But, a little
background first. About a year ago
she got quite sickly and had to have surgery. Her situation was dire and the surgery very
dangerous, but required just the same. I'd nursed her back to health from pneumonia as a baby and
she'd never left home before so I felt very badly about her having to go through the whole thing.
Being the cupcake that I am, I cried all the way to the vet, quite a lot since this was a 30 minute trip.
I remember thinking that she wouldn't understand why I was doing this to her and all that silly stuff.
In short, I felt guilty to start with.
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Anyway, she made it through the surgery with flying colors and was ready to come home a few days later.
I'd never had a goat truly mad at me before so I didn't quite know what to expect. Cats, horses, dogs, even
birds all have a "look" that is part of their guilt trip repertoire, however, a goat won't look at
you at all! She did everything in her power not to face me. When the veterinarian brought her out
on her leash (yes she is leash trained) she turned her back to me. It didn't matter where I moved or
how hard I tried to get in front of her she just kept doing what she had to do to make sure that her
back was turned to me at all times. When he put her in her crate in the car, she quickly turned around and
faced the back as not to have to look at me. Although she was successful at making me feel terrible and
guilty at the time, I can look back at it now with a chuckle.
Kimo, Sweetie, Sammie and Daisy your the best! You win today's guilt trip expertise award! ... I say with love.
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